Putin began by offering condolences to the families of the victims in Brussels. He added “we have repeatedly discussed the issues related to the fight against terrorism, and it’s possible to efficiently combat it only by united efforts.”

Some other Russian officials and lawmakers have criticized Western reluctance to cooperate with Moscow on fighting terrorism amid the strain in Russia-West ties over the Ukrainian crisis.

A man looks at flowers and messages outside the stock exchange in Brussels on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. Photo: AP/Geert Vanden Wijngaert.